Politics & Government
Pleasantville Mayor Addresses Newtown Shooting
Mayor Peter Scherer has voiced support for the "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" organization.
"I think what's been on all our minds, not only in Pleasantville but around the country in the last day has been our horror and our sympathy that we send to the people in Newtown, CT, for what happened there," Mayor Peter Scherer said in his opening remarks at Monday's Board of Trustees meeting in Pleasantville.
As he continued to speak about the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Scherer announced has has voiced his support for an organization, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which, according to its website, does "support the Second Amendment and the rights of citizens to own guns," but believes "we can do more to stop criminals from getting guns while also protecting the rights of citizens to freely own them."
Scherer said, "In the category of trying to find something to do in a situation where there is little that we can do, I am happy to report today that I have filed the papers to add my name as the mayor of Pleasantville to the list of mayors who have signed onto the Mayors Against Illegal Guns."
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The program, according to Scherer, "was launched by Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg of New York and Mayor [Thomas] Menino of Boston" and advances the following principles, which he read verbatim last night.
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"Punish - to the maximum extent of the law - criminals who possess, use, and traffic in illegal guns.
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Target and hold accountable irresponsible gun dealers who break the law by knowingly selling guns to straw purchasers.
Oppose all federal efforts to restrict cities' right to access, use, and share trace data that is so essential to effective enforcement, or to interfere with the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to combat illegal gun trafficking.
Work to develop and use technologies that aid in the detection and tracing of illegal guns.
Support all local state and federal legislation that targets illegal guns; coordinate legislative, enforcement, and litigation strategies; and share information and best practices.
"I hope and encourage that any other residents can weigh in with similar thoughts and we certainly send our profound sympathy and thoughts to the victims and to the entire community in the Sandy Hook school and Newtown, CT," Scherer said.
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